Method and terminal for multipoint communication

• US 20030026253A1
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Lederer, Thomas, Burger, Manfred, Hohl, Hubertus
• Application Number:
  US10/210,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20030026253A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party-service or three-way-call computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Communication data streams are transmitted within the scope of a multipoint connection from a first terminal to other terminals. The first terminal distributes communication data streams originating at the first terminal and received from the other terminals involved in the multipoint connection. As a result, each of the other terminals receives the communication data streams originating from the other terminals.

Claims

1. A method for distributing communication data streams via a multipoint connection between a first terminal and other terminals, comprising:

receiving remote communication data streams from the other terminals at the first terminal, and

transmitting from the first terminal, the remote communication data streams and a first terminal communication data stream originating from the first terminal to each of the other terminals, so that each receiving terminal receives the first terminal communication data stream and any of the remote communication data streams not originating at the receiving terminal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

further comprising initiating the multipoint connection by the first terminal by setting up two-point connections from the first terminal to the other terminals, and

wherein said receiving and transmitting use the two-point connections.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the remote and first terminal communication data streams transmitted from the first terminal to at least one of the other terminals are transmitted together one of the two-point connections.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the remote and first terminal communication data streams transmitted from the first terminal to at least one of the other terminals are transmitted via separate two-point connections.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said initiating sets up the two-point connections as peer-to-peer connections.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first terminal communication data stream logically is received by the first terminal equivalently to said receiving of the remote communication data streams.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising logically transmitting the remote communication data streams from the other terminals in a manner equivalent to said transmitting of the remote and first terminal communication data streams from the first communication device.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the remote and first terminal communication data streams are transmitted via a packet-oriented communication network

9. The method as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the multipoint connection is a video conference call, and

wherein the remote and first terminal communication data streams are video data streams.

10. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said initiating sets up the two-point connections as peer-to-peer connections.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first terminal communication data stream logically is received by the first terminal equivalently to said receiving of the remote communication data streams.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising logically transmitting the remote communication data streams from the other terminals in a manner equivalent to said transmitting of the remote and first terminal communication data streams from the first communication device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the remote and first terminal communication data streams are transmitted via a packet-oriented communication network

14. The method as claimed in claim 13,

wherein the multipoint connection is a video conference call, and

wherein the remote and first terminal communication data streams are video data streams.

15. A terminal for distributing communication data streams via a multipoint connection between said terminal and other terminals, comprising:

a data reception device to receive remote communication data streams from the other terminals,

a data distribution device, coupled to said data reception device, for allocation of the remote communication data streams and a local communication data stream originating from said terminal, to the other terminals, so that each receiving terminal is allocated the local communication data stream and any of the remote communication data streams not originating at the receiving terminal, and

a data transmission device, coupled to said data distribution device, to transmit the local and remote communication data streams to the other terminals in accordance with the allocation by said data distribution device.